MAY 16 —The Australian Government has released its much awaited Naval Shipbuilding Plan. It's ambitious and expensive.

The plan includes a massive injection of funds - A$1.3 billion, or just under US$1 billion - to develop what Minister for Defense Industry Christopher Pyne called "vital infrastructure in the nation's shipyards so that we can build the Navy's next generation of naval vessels here in Australia."

The Turnbull Government is investing around another A$90 billion in the rolling acquisition of new submarines and the continuous build of major ships such as future frigates, as well as minor naval vessels.

According to a fact sheet released by the Australian Governnment the program is dependent on four "key enablers":

modern, innovative and secure naval shipbuilding infrastructure;

workforce growth and development;

a sustainable and cost-competitive Australian industrial base; and

The three build programs for submarines, major surface combatants and minor naval vessels, including:

a rolling acquisition program for the new submarine fleet, at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia, with construction of 12 future submarines commencing around 2022‐23;

a continuous build of major surface combatants, also at the Osborne Naval Shipyard, with construction of nine future frigates commencing in 2020; and

a continuous build program for minor naval vessels, commencing with the pacific patrol boat replacement project in 2017 at the Henderson Maritime Precinct in Western Australia, and the construction of 12 offshore patrol vessels, with the first two to be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard commencing in 2018 and transferring to the Henderson Maritime Precinct at the start of the future frigate project.

The Naval Shipbuilding Plan highlights that a successful Australian naval shipbuilding enterprise will need modern, innovative and secure naval shipbuilding and sustainment infrastructure and construction processes.